Apple has announced that macOS 28 will not support encrypted Mac OS Extended volumes. Users must decrypt or reformat these volumes to maintain compatibility with future macOS versions, indicating a shift toward the APFS file system, which supports built-in encryption.
Apple has confirmed that starting with macOS 28, the Mac OS Extended file system will only support unencrypted volumes. Encrypted volumes will become incompatible, necessitating user action to continue using them.
Users currently utilizing encrypted HFS+ external drives or legacy Mac-formatted volumes must either decrypt these volumes or reformat them to a compatible file system such as APFS. Apple provides guidance on how users can check their volume's compatibility.
Beginning with macOS 26, users will receive notifications when using encrypted Mac OS Extended disks that will not work with macOS 28 or later. The notification will specify the volume name affected.
To address the compatibility issues, Apple advises users to back up their data. They can then either reformat the volume to APFS or decrypt the volume if they choose to keep it. Instructions to verify encryption status using Disk Utility are provided.
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Apple has announced that macOS 28 will not support encrypted Mac OS Extended volumes. Users must decrypt or reformat these volumes to maintain compatibility with future macOS versions, indicating a shift toward the APFS file system, which supports built-in encryption.